by Sadee Bee
Whenever I hear of a new A.L. Davidson title, I am immediately thrilled. Is that a bias? Probably, but when someone writes such captivating Queer horror–I must give credit where it is due.
Lover, Thy Name is Pestilence, has been one of my most highly rated reads this year.
From my Goodreads and Storygraph:
“This gave me bones and all vibes and I loved that movie
A.L. Does it again with a dark and captivating story.
I heavily support Queer rights but champion Queer wrongs.
Also, if he wanted to, he would”
This short but amazing, queer cannibalism romance was everything I hoped it would be but also so many things I did not expect it to be.
This bloody, intense, and introspective work not only uses cannibalism as a metaphor but as a literal plot point that drives the main characters. Ed and Dakota are such amazing characters in their own ways and are really what drives the story.
Ed, a devoted, harsh mountain man–Dakota, their disabled non-binary partner that he would quite literally do anything for. Some real, “would you love me if I was a worm?” type stuff.
In the world of Lover, Thy Name is Pestilence, Ed and Dakota live in the Smoky Mountains. Quiet, isolated, and fresh off a Civil War–surviving a famine and prepping for a brutal winter to come. Both are forced to make some brutal choices to survive but, in the end, everything they do is for each other.
I could talk about this book for hours but I don’t want to give too many spoilers because you simply should just read it.
The way A.L. Davidson masterfully broaches the topics of disability, queerness, queer love, and discrimination in this book are something to behold. In a world where people don’t want to see these things, Davidson doesn’t shy away from the subject, and definitely doesn’t shy away from showcasing these things in a humanizing way.
Dakota suffers from chronic pain as well as other things (which are part of the plotline I can’t give away), and Ed is a partner just about any disabled person would love to have. Kind, caring, thoughtful, and ruthless when it comes to the safety and health of their partner. Dakota is someone I identify with on so many levels. Disability robs a lot from people like us, and often all we want is for someone to take us as we are.
For Dakota, the hiding is not only mental, it is physical. Their home serves as their proverbial prison to hide their affliction from the world. All they want is to feel useful, to feel not like a burden to their partner despite Ed telling them many times that they are not. I understand these thoughts and feelings and I just know there are so many more people out there who would as well.
A.L. Davidson unflinchingly uses cannibalism in this story in a tasteful way. Yes, cannibalism and tasteful are rarely in the same sentence, but trust me. The idea that one can consume the very thing that has oppressed them for so long is not an idea that is lost on me. Sure, some of it is about lust in this book but ultimately comes down to taking back one’s power in the end. Does one conform to what humanity wants or does one make the choice to be themselves despite the obstacles they may face?
Lover, Thy Name is Pestilence, is truly one of a kind and A.L. Davidson, to me, is the queer horror writer of the present and future. I could read this book again and again. I suggest picking up a copy for yourself and seeing exactly what queer representation in horror should absolutely be.
Sadee Bee (They/She) is a queer artist and writer inspired by magic, strange dreams, and creepy vibes. Sadee is the Visual Arts Editor for Sage Cigarettes Magazine and the author of Pupa: Growth & Metamorphosis (Alien Buddha Press) and Magic Lives In Girls (kith books). Bee can be found on the web at linktr.ee/SadeeBee.
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